DNS

Definition

DNS (Domain Name System) is the internet's phone book. It translates human-readable domain names (like google.com) into machine-readable IP addresses (like 216.58.214.46).

Simple Explanation

When you type a URL into your browser, DNS servers work behind the scenes to find where that website actually lives on the internet — like looking up someone's phone number in a directory before calling them.

Real-World Use Case

A visitor types yourdomain.com into their browser. DNS translates it to your server's IP address, connects them, and your website loads.

Examples

Related Terms

Learn More

• Cloudflare DNS Learning Center
• IANA DNS Root Servers